Réveillé

Réveillé is the past participle of the French verb réveiller, meaning to wake someone up or to wake up. As an adjective it describes someone who has awakened or who is awake, and it agrees in gender and number: réveillé (masc.), réveillée (fem.), réveillés (masc. pl.), réveillées (fem. pl.). In reflexive use, se réveiller means “to wake up.”

Etymology and usage notes: réveiller is formed from veiller (to be awake, to watch) with the prefix re-, indicating the action of waking someone back to wakefulness or becoming awake. The past participle réveillé appears in compound tenses with être or avoir, and as an adjective it attributes the state of wakefulness to a noun.

Examples: Je me suis réveillé à six heures. Elle s’est réveillée tôt. Il est bien réveillé après le café. L’expression bien réveillé is commonly used to mean fully alert, while tout juste réveillé describes being barely awake.

Distinctions: réveillé is not usually used as a standalone noun. The related noun réveil refers to an alarm clock or to the act of waking. In figurative use, réveiller can describe waking interest, awareness, or social consciences, as in réveiller les consciences.

Translations: The closest equivalents are awakened or awake, depending on context and agreement with the subject. Réveillée and réveillés convey gender and number.

See also: réveiller, réveil, se réveiller, bien réveillé.